Characters
Important Events
Themes
Cause and Effect
Miscellaneous
100
How did Billie Jo respond to Ma's reaction to her high state test grades?
Billie Jo wanted more praise from her mother, like Mad Dog's parents give him.
100
What did Billie Jo's father do after the accident? Why was she upset at her father?
Billie Jo's father went out drinking with the emergency money the family had saved. Billie Jo was nervous and appalled, and didn't know how to take care of her mother.
100
What did the cereus flower that was grown by a woman in town resemble to Billie Jo?
This reminded her of her absent mother, and the possibility that she was looking down on Billie Jo and her family.
100
The absence of Livie Killian caused Billie Jo to see what out the window of the train?
Billie Jo thought she saw Livie Killian standing outside in a frail state, waiting for a train.
100
Why does Billie Jo get concerned about the bumps on her father's nose and neck?
Billie Jo suspected that it was a kind of skin cancer, and she didn't want to lose him after she lost her mother; she would be left alone in the dust.
200
What connection is made between the apple blossoms and Ma and Franklin?
Both the apple blossoms and Ma and Franklin died.
200
What did the dinosaur bones found at the park symbolize about Billie Jo?
If Billie Jo didn't get out of the dust, out of rough times, her bones would also turn to stone.
200
A bucket of what was placed by the stove that cause the burning of Billie Jo's hands and her mother?
A bucket of kerosene was placed by the stove.
200
Who sent the invitation requesting Billie Jo to live with her? Why didn't she accept?
Aunt Ellis sent the invitation. Billie Jo didn't accept because she didn't want to leave her father in hard times, and she thought Aunt Ellis was crazy.
300
How did Pa meet Louise? How Louise help her father when Billie Jo ran away?
Louise was the teacher at his night school, and never married. She comforted Pa while Billie Jo was away, and they developed a relationship.
300
What did piano symbolize to Billie Jo?
It symbolized her absent mother within her.
300
What caused the wandering family to be at the schoolhouse?
They were in poverty, and the dust was too harsh for their new baby on the way.
300
Why did Billie Jo feel frustrated at the art gallery?
She did so because after the art gallery was over, the beauty in the paintings would be locked away, and never taken out again. This reminded her of her mother that she could not bring back.
400
Who was the man on the train when Billie Jo ran away, out of the dust? What did they exchange?
The man on the train ran away from his problems back home, not being able to support his family. They exchanged Billie Jo's stale biscuits, and the man gave her a picture of his family and an address.
400
What did Ma's apple blossoms symbolize about Ma?
They symbolized her stubbornness to survive, and her willpower to keep her family going during rough times.
400
What caused Billie Jo's father to dig a hole?
After the accident, he wanted to get his mind off of his loss. Also, this is what his wife always wanted to have (pond) for the farm.
400
Where was the invitation from Aunt Ellis placed, and how did it make Billie Jo feel?
The invitation sat on the shelf above the piano, and it made her remember her mother, and think about how she didn't want to leave her.
500
Why was the Christmas cranberry sauce so important and crucial to Billie Jo's holiday?
This was so important to Billie Jo because when she was alive, her mother used to make it every holiday. Without it, the absence of her mother weighed down on her.
500
The dad ran out during the first dust storm that occurred in the story. Why did he run out?
He was desperate to stop the dust, and he fought in the War of France; he was very courageous.
500
What did the applesauce and clothes given to the new schoolhouse baby symbolize about Billie Jo's family?
This symbolized that they gave to people in need, even during hard times.
500
After Ma's death, what caused Billie Jo to take the responsibilities of her absent mother into her own hands?
She wanted to take over and play the role of her mother. Also, she wanted to mend relations with her father.
500
Who was baby Franklin named after?
President Franklin Roosevelt
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